Book holders



F. BROWETT Y July 6, 1965 BOOK HOLDERS I Filed April 24; 1964 FIG.

IN VEN TOR Fran/r Browefl United States Patent 3,193,240 BOOK HOLDERS Frank Browett, Box 6, Valrico, Fla. Filed Apr. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 362,414 2 Claims. (Cl. 248449) This invention relates to an item found in stationery stores and the like, and more particularly to an item known as a book holder, the sole purpose of which is to hold a book open to a given page while the same is resting in an inclined position on a table, desk or any other flat surface.

Book holders are one of the most popular and common items in a stationery store. They are available in many different forms, and retail in a price range that will suit anyones pocketbook. Unfortunately few, if any, book holders now on the market are entirely satisfactory no matter what they may cost. They are either too light in construction to hold a large book, or else they are too big and heavy for practical use. The book holders known to be available either lack adjustments necessary to firmly hold any size book, or they are loaded with complicated screw activated mechanisms that easily get out of order or jam and will not work at all.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a book holder that is not only light in weight, but also one that can be slidably adjusted to firmly hold any thickness of book.

Another object of this invention is to provide a book holder that can instantly be folded into a fiat unit when not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a book holder that is made entirely from rigid wire, chromeplated, or otherwise finished to provide an attractive device that is an asset to any home or ofiice.

Another object of this invention is to provide a book holder that has a configuration specially adapted for use while one is lying in bed with the book holder resting on the lap, besides used on a flat surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide a book holder that is specially useful for any person that is ill and cannot very well hold a book while reading the same, by reason of its unique construction as is fully described in this specification.

Another object of this invention is to provide a book holder that will not in anyway obstruct any of the printing on the pages being read.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a book holder that can be manufactured and retailed at a price well within the means of any man, woman or child that has the need of this kind of device.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of this invention in actual use. The book is shown in phantom lines.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of this invention in actual use. The book is shown in phantom lines.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional detail view of this invention, taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a detail view of this invention, taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, the book holder 6 consists of two major parts, namely the front or book holding member 7 and the supporting member 8. The book holding member 7 consists of one piece of rigid wire and embodies a vertically inclined member 9 having its upper end formed into a closed U-shaped member -10 that has one leg 11 bent into a second U-shaped member 12. The lower end of the aforesaid vertically inclined member 9 is formed into a foot 13 of any desired configuration ddddidd ice that in this instant has its inner member 14 extending horizontally across the book holder to become the bridge 15 that in turn is bent downward to form an alike foot that, being identical to the first mentioned foot, is given the same reference numeral 1.3 as are all other alike parts of this invention. From the second foot 13 the rigid wire is formed into the left band members that are in parallel and equal spaced relation to, the aforesaid members 9, 1Q, 11 and 12. The already mentioned supporting member 8 embodies two equally spaced and vertically inclined and parallel menttbers lo that are all part of one continuous piece of rigid wire. The aforesaid vertically inclined and parallel members 16 are directly behind the aforesaid members i of the book holding member 7. The uppermost end of each member 15 is formed at right anglethereto and passes through one of the closed U-shaped members 12 and lb in each end thereof and indicated on the drawing by the reference numeral 17. The two ends are now butt-welded together at 18 to become the aforesaid supporting member 8. The bottom of each inclined and parallel member 16 terminates in a foot 19 that in turn is formed into one common bridge member 2'9 that is basically the same as the aforesaid bridge 15 of the book supporting member 8.

Looking now at FIGURE 1 of the drawing, it will be seen that each one of the aforesaid vertically inclined members 9 of the book holding member 7 is provided with a manually slidable rigid wire 21 that has its upper end 22 formed into a laterally disposed letter U that encompasses in part the inclined member 9 while its center portion is coiled at 23 to encompass the long leg 24 of the L-shaped supporting member .25 that has its short leg 26 extending upward and parallel to the aforesaid member 9. The uppermost end of the aforesaid short leg 2-6 flairs outward at 27 in order that it may not impede the turning of the pages of the book supported by this unique book holder 6. The lower end 28 of the rigid wire 21 also encompasses in part the vertically inclined member 9. The lower end 23 is also in the shape of a letter U. This just described construction provides this unique book holder with a means of vertically adjusting the supported book on the same as well as to permit a book of any thickness to be held thereon as is obvious from examination of the previously mentioned FIGURES l and 2 of the drawing. The book can also be vertically adjusted by sliding rigid wires 21 on vertically inclined members 9. The members 25 can be moved longitudinally of portion 2 to adjust for books of different thickness and also to vary the angle of the book as indicated in phantom lines in FiGUR-E 2. Also elements 211 and 25 can be rotated about 9 to place short leg 26 at the margin of the page of the book that is being read, and that supporting members 25 can be rotated about 24 to expedite turning of a page. The last three directions of movement are indicated by the arrows of FIGURE 3.

It may be added that an optional form of this invention of a book holder can be made wherein the device can be manually adjustable in both the vertical and horizontal plane, thereby making it possible to hold any size book or magazine. The optional form of construction is obtained by making the vertically inclined members 9 of the book holding member 7 and the inclined and parallel members 16 of the supporting member 23 and the bridges l5 and 2b in two pieces connected together by et sleeve, as are the member 17. This form of construction is not shown in any of the views of the drawing.

Attention is called to the fact that the book holding member 7 is prevented from having too great an angular displacement in relation to the supporting member 8 3 by reason of the interlocking of the members 16 with members 10 and 11.

While the specific details of construction have been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be confined thereto since changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

I claim as my invention:

1. A book holder as described comprising a pair of almost identical members with broadly spaced feet, a back and a front hinged at the top with a means of limiting the distance of the feet or legs apart and Will hold the front book-holding member in an inclined position and a means to prevent sidewise movement at the hinges, by a continuation of the single-bend hinge portion, to surround on three sides in a U shape the back up-right portion.

2. A book holder as described comprising a pair of almost identical members with broadly spaced feet, a

back and a front hinged at the top with a means of limit ing the distance of the feet or legs apart and will hold the front book-holding member in an inclined position and a means to prevent sidewise movement at the hinges, by a continuation of the, single-bend hinge portion, to surround on three sides in a U shape the back up-right portion and a means to provide a universal, individual, movement of the book rests or hooks, up and down, in and out, and swivel, and a spring tension maintaining friction sufiicient to holdthe book in position the same spring tension enabling the book rest-s or hooks to be swiveled so as not to obscure print, and turned in an arch to put pressure on the pages to hold them back,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,536,678 5/25 'Markowski 248-175 1,609,673 12/26 Taylor 248-455 2,317,867 4/43 Taylor et -al. 248-448 3,098,314 7/63 Degorski et al. 248F453 CLAUDE A. LE RQY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BOOK HOLDER AS DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PAIR OF ALMOST IDENTICAL MEMBERS WITH BROADLY SPACED FEET, A BACK AND A FRONT HINGED AT THE TOP WITH A MEANS OF LIMITING THE DISTANCE OF THE FEET OR LEGS APART AND WILL HOLD THE FRONT BOOK-HOLDING MEMBER IN AN INCLINED POSITION AND A MEANS TO PREVENT SIDEWISE MOVEMENT AT THE HINGES, BY A CONTINUATION OF THE SINGLE-BEND HINGE PORTION, TO SURROUND ON THREE SIDES IN A U SHAPE THE BACK UP-RIGHT PORTION. 